Victoria Travel Forum

Hi,
I will be in Victoria for 2 days and one night. We are taking the ferry from Vancouver.

I wanted to have do High Tea, and wonder what's the best place to do it?

Also, I would like to book a masssage or spa treatment, can someone recommend a good place? Is Magnolia Hotel a good spot? We are staying at that hotel.

Thanks a lot!

I wish know what do you think, dear VT members, is Gabriola Island worth seeing, or better Newcastle Island?

Can someone tell how does the immigration procedure work in Victoria?
I plan to take the Clipper Ferry from Seattle and wondering where the actual immigration inspection takes place. Do they stamp the passport?

Thanks

I will be in Seattle for a few days early June.
I'm trying to decide if it is worth a day trip to Victoria. I have been told going by sea plane is well worth the trip. But not sure if I will have enough time to see the city. Also would love to visit Buchart Gardens, is this difficult/time consuming to get to from Victoia?
I could go over by sea plane arriving at 9am, and return by ferry .. departing 5:30 or 7pm I think. That seemed to give the most time but would be an expensive exercise for just one day.
any advice would be much appreciated!

Hi, I am planning a trip to Victoria with my family and we are planning to stay in downtown Vancouver. We don't have hotel reservation yet but we want to see Victoria before we head back to Seattle, WA to catch the AMTRAK Train to San Francisco. What is the best way to get to Victoria and back and if you can give us some tips on how to go around tourist places and what transportation to use to go. Is AMTRAK bus station close by downtown Vancouver??? Any of your tips will be a big help to us. Thank you.

Hi

Can anyone verify if the Gray Line Grand City Drive tour operates in Feb?

It seems on some sites that it's only available from April, however, I am able to book it on Expedia.

My cruise ship is coming in for one evening this summer from 7:30-midnight. What would you suggest that I make sure my husband and I do while in Victoria for the evening? Basically, what shouldn't I miss if this is the ONE time I will be in Victoria? Thanks in advance for your help!

So, my mother is coming all the way from Australia to visit myself and my beloved. Since we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, and I am working that evening til 5:30pm, I won't have the energy to cook but would still like to have a lovely small family dinner out.

Does anyone have any ideas of a lovely place in Victoria for Christmas Eve dinner? I'm probably too late - most places must be booked out.


Thanks in advance!
Jitka

Is the Christmas Light up wed. December 5 between 4 and 5pm? Have a great day.

What's your favorite fish and chip restaurant in Victoria? I see that Barb's Fish n Chips is the #1 while in season (March - Oct). We'd like to go find a great traditional fish'n'chip shop this weekend (the kind where they wrap it up in newspaper).

Thanks!

help me find a kamono? a tradition japanese dressing gown to purchase

Hi, We are thinking for driving up from Portland, Oregon and leaving our car at Port Angeles to have less stress on a 3 day trip to victoria, (has anyone done this?) We are wondering if its easy to get around from the ferry terminal in Victoria? Are there taxis? Buses? running frequently? How far is it to downtown area...we are thinking of staying at the youth hostel..? any info would be helpful thanks!
happy travels!
Tara

My wife and I will be in Victoria in October for a conference. We have about 1 day of free time, and we were hoping to rent a car and see a bit more of Vancouver Island (giant trees and/or nice beaches, if possible). Is it possible to make a nice day trip (leaving in the morning and returning at night) either to Tofino, or Nanaimo, or Parksville, or some other nice location? Or would it be best to stay overnight somewhere? I am really not familiar with distances on the island, so any suggestions as to places to visit (and places to stay for one night), and as to driving times, would be much appreciated. Thank you!!

I'm only in town for two more weeks and trying to decide if I should visit Barb's. I've never been, but I've also heard the quality has taken a nosedive since they changed hands (about last September). Can anyone comment? I recently tried Red Fish Blue Fish and it was great- they just opened a kiosk on water level on Wharf, at the bottom of Broughton.

(PS - I make one or two exceptions annually to my "vegetarianism" when the fish and chips cravings become uncontrollable).

Hey guys.. me and few of my friends are thinking of going to Victoria for few days and here in USA you can go to a club if your 18 not the bar thoe, was just wondering is there any clubs in Victoria that you gotta be not 19 to go to? i am short few month.

We found an almost-to-good-to be-true deal: the Victoria Regent for 99 Canadian dollars + tax per night. Are there any really undesirable rooms ( next to the trash compactor, or next to a highway, etc ) ?
Any recommendations?

Thanks
-HB

Wife and I are looking at flying into Seattle, then traveling to Victoria without a car. We are looking at three options:
1) Bus to Port Arthur, ferry to Victoria.
2) Ferry from Seattle to Victoria.
3) Ferry from Bellingham ( not sure how to get there yet )

Any opinions on which is better?

Are the odds of seeing whales different? Do the busses have lots of legroom? Are we correct in assuming that we can get around Victoria without a car? How long a wait can we expect at either ferry on a weekday in October? What is a cheap, easy way to get from Seattle airport to Bellingham?

Thanks
-HB

My wife and I are buying a townhouse but it won't be ready till Oct 15th. We arrive at the end of this month, so we need to find a place for 1.5 months. Do you guys know of any motels/inns/b&b's at or under $1000/mo or even a place to rent which has no lease? We found 2 inn's so far but not sure if they're any good. One is the Oxford Castle Inn and the other is Red Lion Inn.

Thanks!

We are looking for assistance with our trip to Victoria for one day. We will be staying in Vancouver and would like to know the easiest/cheapest way to get to and from.

We are interested in going to High Tea at the Empress Hotel and a historical walking tour or any other good ideas. We would like to stay within the city and are not interested in the gardens due to the travel time.

Thanks for your time and suggestions!!!

What is the easiest way to get from the port where cruise ships dock to the Buchard gardens? I will be on a cruise and would like an easy and economical way to get from point A to point B. Thanks

Is their a public transportation from ferry terminal to the gardens, or I must go to Victoria first.
I plan to have one day trip from Vancouver to Victoria. Is it possible to travel to the gardens directly from the ferry terminal, spent several hours in the gardens, then visit Victoria and catch late ferry to Vancouver

Hi... We're heading to Victoria via Seattle next month and I have a few questions.

When I made my reservation on the Victoria Clipper, I noticed that we go to Victoria on the Clipper I and come back on the Clipper IV. What are the differences in the 2 boats? Does arriving early for check in guarantee that we'll be able to get an upper floor seat? Any other info you can provide?

We have a 2-day ticket for the On-Off tour bus. We only have 1 1/2 days there, so what should we absolutely see? Can you recommend a nice place for dinner? We're staying at the Coast Harbour, if that helps.

What will the temps be like in July? Current reports show upper 60s as the high temp for the day. Is that about right?

Thanks for all your help! I look forward to reading your replies!

Anyone know of a web site for the White Heathers Tea Room where you can make a reservation?

We have reservations next month at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina (146 Kingston St). After making the reservation, checked AAA for their rating, which was, per hotel folks, 4.5 diamonds. This hotel is not even listed with AAA, so we assume it is not an approved property! Very curious as to why no listing. We would greatly appreciate comments from anyone that has information on this hotel. THANKS!

This place is generating MAJOR buzz. Anyone tried it yet? It's only open for lunch, from noon to three. One employee, two tables, $20 per person... PLEASE FILL ME IN!

Has anyone stayed at this hostel lately? I'm thinking about staying there for a few days in June and I've read mixed reviews. Many of the positive ones are written by people who only posted about this hostel (no other tips) so it seems a bit fishy... Is it clean? noisy? fun? Any input will be appreciated!

Isa

I would like a list of hotels within walking distance to the Borchart Gardens with comments or recommendations

How can I obtain this outstanding seafood recipe? Thanks, Jim

Hi,

A couple of us are planning to hike the West Coast Trail on May 18th and The West Coast Trail Express bus service is not up and running yet. We have already purchased our airline tickets since the park is scheduled to open.

Does anyone know of a way to get from Victoria to Gordon River Trailhead? And from Pachena Bay to Nanaimo at the end of our hike?

Thanks for your help.

Greetings Fellow Vts,

I will be in Victoria this weekend through next Friday with my wife. Does anyone know of any special events or "Must See" things to see while I'm there. My wife will be in training during the days, so I will need places to visit during the days.

Thanks in advance.

Beamer